America should look to its own before firing off at our colonels

The Telegraph (U.K.) ^ | 05/26/03 | Partick Bishop

[dts32041]

I understand the Major's problem is he is a slovenly solider with no military bearing.

Thye good Col braced him for approximately 45 minutes, to teach a little military bearing.

< Apparently it didn't work, cause the major did his pen in a posioned ink well and fired.

[Servant of the Nine]

his accuser, a part-time traffic cop and counsellor who is also a civil affairs officer in the US Army reserve

Enough said. We should be ashamed.

So9

[Grut]

The decision to come forward appears to have less to do with shock at Col Collins's behaviour than with an incident in which he was forced to stand to attention for 45 minutes for ignoring the colonel's rule against distributing sweets to local children.

The prohibition may very well have been sensible, but the childish punishment administered to a relatively senior officer tells me that Col. Collins may be a little flakier than he's made out to be here.

[Servant of the Nine]

The prohibition may very well have been sensible, but the childish punishment administered to a relatively senior officer tells me that Col. Collins may be a little flakier than he's made out to be here.

Sounds to me like a professional combat officer who had run out of patience with an insubordinate REMF who disobeyed one order too many. Other reports say the two had clashed before.

And yes, brilliant combat officers, like masters of most dangerous fields of endeavor tend to be prima donnas.

So9

[the gillman@blacklagoon.com]

The first time I ever realized there was true evil in this world was the first time I was forced to meet with a guidance counselor.

He was the first bug-eyed leftist I ever met.

Still makes my skin crawl to think of it.

[em2vn]

I imagine the Colonel had to have dealt with our major on more than one occassion. His treat of the delicate little major isn't all that unusual. I had a ship's captain who frequently restricted the officers to the ship when he was angry with them. We could be tied up in Long Beach, enlisted men on liberty and the officers wives standing on the mole talking to their husbands on the ship. He certainly got results.

[Cicero]

I must admit that I hadn't heard about this dispute earlier. The article really is badly written, because it never gets around to explaining what happened. I'm glad that the replies make it a bit clearer.

It sounds as if you could slice this two ways. The Colonel would have been perfectly justified in treating one of his own British subordinates this way, but it was probably not very diplomatic to treat an American officer in this fashion, regardless of how stupid or unprofessional the man may have been.

One of an officer's duties is to straighten out the men under his command. But a word to the major's American commanders might have been more prudent. It's not the job of the British army to straighten out the American army.

[vbmoneyspender]

Who is investigating this? Is it the Americans military investigating Collins or is it the British military investigating Collins? If it is the Americans, the British are right, Collins should be investigated by the Brits. If the Brits, however are investigating this, I don't see how this turns into an America vs. Great Britain issue.

[vbmoneyspender]

Just to add what you picked up from the thread, in the article I read about this, when Colonel Collins told the American major to stop giving out the sweets to the kids, the major told the Colonel something to the effect of "yeah, I'll get around it to it."

[Wolverine]

And now for the rest of the story...

 

Collins accuser did not witness Iraq incidents
From Tim Reid in Washington

Excerpt

 

...Major Re Biastre, 37, a reservist and part of the US Army’s 402nd Civil Affairs Battalion, provoked the ire of Colonel Collins, the commander of the 1st Battalion Royal Irish Regiment, as he handed out lollipops to Iraqi children. The allegations were made after being publicly reprimanded and arrested by Colonel Collins for handing out sweets to Iraqi children in defiance of the British officer’s orders.

....Major Stan Coerr, a US Marine reservist, said: “Major Biastre is the sole reason this is happening. It is his spite for Colonel Collins that started this whole thing. I loved Colonel Collins and would serve with him again. This whole thing is a travesty.”

...According to Mrs Biastre, her husband heard allegations about Colonel Collins while he was made to wait outside his office.

 

....The Iraqi at the centre of the claims is Ayoub Yousif Naser, a member of the Baath party and a leading official in Rumaila, an oil village 30 miles west of Basra. Mr Naser told The Times that Colonel Collins subjected them to a mock execution, ordering his men to put him and his son against a wall and ordered a soldier to kill them. Colonel Collins denies the claims. Mr Naser conceded to The Times that he lied about possessing weapons to British forces. Locals said Mr Naser was widely feared in the area.

 

Army clears colonel of war crimes in Iraq Humiliated major’s claim ‘triggered by spite’

by IAN BRUCE

Excerpt

...COLONEL Tim Collins, the British officer who made world headlines with his rousing eve-of-battle speech before the invasion of Iraq, has been cleared of war crimes in a preliminary report by the army's special investigation branch.

Collins inquiry finds no evidence of war crime
By Sean O'Neill
(Filed: 26/05/2003)

Excerpt

...The Army inquiry into Col Tim Collins has found no evidence that his conduct during the war in Iraq was in breach of the Geneva Conventions.

Spite likely motive for war shame
Bruce Wilson in London
26may03

Excerpt

...OUTRAGE mounted in Britain yesterday after the chief accuser of Iraq war hero, Lieutenant-Colonel Tim Collins of the Royal Irish Regiment, was named as US army reservist Major Re Biastre.

...Major Biastre's allegations were motivated by "revenge and spite" in his accusations against Lt-Col Collins. The case is reported to be souring relations between the US and Britain –the two major anti-Saddam military allies.

[vbmoneyspender]

So I take it the Brits are investigating this. The newspapers must have decided to turn it into an American vs. British thing because it was a slow news day.

[EricT.]

I wish to issue a sincere apology to the good colonel on behalf of all red-blooded Americans. My dear sir, we are truly sorry that some of the left over Klintoon-trash officers were allowed to slip through the cracks. Rest assured that this flaccid non-useful body will quietly go away into reserve officer obscurity, never to attain a higher rank and subsequently asked to leave the service. Please don't regard this touchy-feely sensitivity stormtrooper as the norm in our officer corps. It takes a little time to seperate the chaff.

For those of you that think the major was treated poorly for disobeying an order from a superior officer in his chain of command, what he got was mild for such a transgression in a war zone. His stupid actions could well have gotten someone killed. He deserved non-judicial punishment and a page 13 service record entry at the very least.

[donmeaker]

I think the problem is that when asked to detach an officer for service with an ally, the US begins at the bottom of the list, and our allies begin at the top of the list.

My apologies to our friends, and shame shame shame to a slovenly REMF sho libled a better man than himself.

Disobedience to orders? From an officer? He should be glad that he was serving with the UK unit, for in mine he would be escorted to the rear under guard, with appropriate charges, to occupy the Lt Calley memorial suite at Ft Leavenworth.

[Travis McGee]

I know who I would want to serve under, and who needs a horse whipping.

[gaelwolf]

Having spent time with British forces during my military career, I would have to say that the Reservist Major was lucky that all Colonel Collins did at the time was to make him stand at attention. The Major had disobeyed the orders of an officer placed in his chain of command. He was arrested, but apparently not confined. He served as an example to everyone that Colonel Collins was not going to tolerate insolence or insubordination in a time of war in HIS combat area of responsibility.

There should not be any question of the appropriateness of his actions. The Major was wrong, and had been given an order to correct his behavior. He apparently responded in a highly inappropriate manner.

Had the shoe been on another foot, and had I been in a position where I had to similarly discipline a member of the British military in a combat zone, there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that the British chain of command would have supported me all the way. I also know that they would have made the life of their military member doubly uncomfortable...first for disobeying my order, and secondly for embarassing the Service, the Queen, and the people of the United Kingdom.

Hopefully, the United States Army will do the same.

I realize that there are a lot of people who do not want American military personnel serve under the command of other forces. Having spent a career in the military, I can testify to the value of service members from allies serving together, for a multitude of very practical reasons.

I can also say that serving with British units provided some of the best experiences of my military career.

[ConservativeVoice]

It seems to me that an officer making an accusation based on heresay alone might be subject to disciplinary action himself.

This little major has done serious damage to the allies in iraq and at home.

Absolutely unforgiveable behovior by my lights.

I'm a USAF reservist, Major, and would like to see an investigation fo the accuser.

[Dan from Michigan]

I don't know the whole story, but it sounds to me that someone needs a court marshalling. I don't mean Col. Collins either.

[Lancey Howard]

bfl

[ConvictHitlery]

Major Re Biastre

What kind of name is this "Re"?